Travelling or Traveling | Difference & Example Sentences

Travelling and traveling are two different spellings of the present participle of the verb “travel” (and the identical gerund) meaning “move from one place to another” (typically over a long distance). The spelling tends to vary based on whether you’re writing UK or US English:

  • In UK English, “travelling” (double “l”) is standard.
  • In US English, “traveling” (one “l”) is correct.
Examples: Travelling and traveling in a sentence
Ava doesn’t like travelling/traveling by boat because she gets seasick.

If you’re travelling/traveling through Central Europe, you should visit Berlin.

Karen likes travelling/traveling by train because she enjoys watching the landscape go by.

I’m saving up for a trip because I realized travelling/traveling can be expensive.

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Travelling and traveling as adjectives

Travelling and traveling can also be used as adjectives to describe someone or something that moves from place to place.

Examples: Travelling and traveling as adjectives
My grandfather was a travelling/traveling salesman.

A travelling/traveling circus will visit the town next week.

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Travelled or traveled

Travelled and traveled are the past forms of the verb “travel.” The same spelling distinction applies to these past forms and to the nouns traveller and traveler:

  • In UK English, “travelled” and “traveller” are standard.
  • In US English, “traveled” and “traveler” are more common.
Examples: Travelling and traveling as adjectives
Alice travelled/traveled for three days before reaching her destination in the desert.

During my flight, I chatted with a fellow traveller/traveler.

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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Ryan, E. (2023, August 22). Travelling or Traveling | Difference & Example Sentences. Scribbr. Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/us-vs-uk/travelling-or-traveling/

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Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing.